Cows are sacred to Hindus who make up almost 80% of the population of India. This not a new thing and has nothing to do with any ‘conspiracy’ to wean people off meat.
Discussion
I don't remember mentioning any conspiracies
Maybe that bit was misplayed- Jay was talking about “ a future that vegans and fake meat producers are trying to lead us toward. “
Cows are sacred in Hinduism because they are the ideal food and source of materials. Not eating cows because they're sacred is a relatively recent psyop.
Most Hindus in India would probably call their own scriptures fake news with how many references there are to beef consumption.
I’m not sure coordinated psyops were underway 1500 years ago in India.🤷
👇From Chat GPT
Here is the historically accepted progression:
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1. Early Vedic period (c. 1500–1000 BCE): cows were valued, not forbidden
In the earliest Vedic texts:
• Cows were economically central (milk, butter/ghee, dung for fuel, traction).
• Animal sacrifice did occur, and cattle may occasionally have been eaten, especially in ritual or elite contexts.
• Even then, cows were already symbolically important and associated with wealth and status.
Key point: cows were respected, but not absolutely protected.
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2. Later Vedic → Upanishadic period (c. 1000–500 BCE): shift toward non-violence
Major philosophical changes occurred:
• Growing emphasis on ahimsa (non-violence).
• Ritual sacrifice began to be questioned and symbolised rather than literal.
• Cows increasingly framed as providers rather than consumables.
This period marks the moral turning point.
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3. Influence of Jainism and Buddhism (c. 600–200 BCE)
Two major movements strongly reinforced cow protection:
• Jainism: radical non-violence; killing animals strictly prohibited.
• Buddhism: rejection of ritual animal sacrifice and emphasis on compassion.
Hindu thinkers responded by:
• Absorbing ahimsa into mainstream Hindu ethics.
• Distancing Hindu identity from sacrificial killing.
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4. Classical Hinduism (c. 200 BCE–500 CE): cow becomes sacred
By this period:
• Texts like the Dharmashastras explicitly condemn cow slaughter.
• The cow is framed as “Gau Mata” (Mother Cow).
• Killing a cow is equated with severe moral pollution or sin.
At the same time:
• Dairy (milk, curd, ghee) becomes central to ritual and diet.
• Protecting cows is linked to social order (dharma).
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5. Medieval period (c. 1000–1700 CE): identity marker
During Islamic rule in parts of India:
• Beef consumption by Muslim communities contrasted with Hindu taboos.
• Cow protection became a clear religious boundary marker.
• Hindu rulers often enacted bans on cow slaughter in their territories.
The taboo became socially absolute for most Hindu communities.
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6. Colonial & modern period (1700s–present): politicisation
Under British rule and later:
• Cow protection movements became tied to Hindu nationalism.
• Post-independence India enshrined cow protection in many state laws.
• Today, avoidance of beef is both a religious practice and a cultural-political symbol.
TLDR
4. Classical Hinduism (c. 200 BCE–500 CE): cow becomes sacred
By this period:
• Texts like the Dharmashastras explicitly condemn cow slaughter.